The present invention relates generally to rotating devices and, more particularly, to motorized pulleys.
In many industrial settings, conveyor systems are employed to transport items from one location to another. By way of example, conveyor systems can be relatively large systems, such as those found in airport baggage areas, to relatively small systems, such as those found in commercial retail centers. In any event, traditional conveyor systems generally include a pulley that rotates with respect to a frame and that drives a belt surrounding the pulley. Indeed, traditional conveyor systems generally include a motor that drives a gear reducer, which, in turn, drives one or more pulleys that, in turn, drives movement of the belt coupled to the pulleys.
To conserve space, many conveyor systems include one or more pulleys that carry a motor and a gear reducer within the interior of the pulley. Such pulleys are often referred to as motorized pulleys. Traditionally, motorized pulleys include an internally disposed motor and an internally disposed network of gears and bearings that harness the torque of the motor to rotate the external surface of the pulley.
During operation, however, the internally located motor and gear assembly generate heat, which can negatively impact the performance and reliability of the motorized pulley. Moreover, generated heat can increase the surface temperature of the pulley, thereby increasing the likelihood of damage to the belt and decreasing the life expectancy of the belt, for instance.
Unfortunately, traditional motorized pulleys isolate the motor and motor assembly from the external environment, thereby reducing the efficacy of cooling. For instance, traditional motorized pulleys generally do not provide a thermally conductive pathway for effective and controlled dissipation of heat generated during operation. Moreover, traditional motorized pulleys, because of this isolated nature of the motor, do not facilitate use of the torque generated by the motor.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and apparatus for improving motorized pulleys.